


I Am Not The Only Traveler

by wasusimp



Series: The Night We Met [1]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Team Crafted, Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Childhood Trauma, Children, Clay | Dream Needs a Hug (Video Blogging RPF), Family Fluff, First Meetings, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kid Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Malnutrition, Minor Injuries, Orphanage, Platonic Relationships, Series, Someone get this kid a hug, Ssundee is Dreams dad, Strangers to Friends, Team Crafted - Freeform, Team Feels, Team as Family, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Touch-Starved Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), dream & team crafted, dream gets adopted, hes tiny, i hope you enjoy, more to come - Freeform, why are there not more tags for this, why is team crafted not a tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-15 12:16:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28563390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wasusimp/pseuds/wasusimp
Summary: He hears the figure stumble, fall, then quickly try to shuffle and get back. Ian reaches the tree and whips around it, ready to give hell to whoever is on the other side.He definitely isn't expecting a kid.He blinks, lowering his arms and looking down at the child who, in turn, flinches away. Guilt gnaws at him but he ignores it, knowing it wasn't his fault he didn't know it was a kid. He lowers himself, crouching down to assess the kid. He's scrawny, skinny and underfed.------------------------Or, the fic that no one asked for where Team Crafted adopts Dream :)
Relationships: Clay | Dream & Adam Dahlberg, Clay | Dream & Ian Stapleton, Clay | Dream & Team Crafted
Series: The Night We Met [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2092791
Comments: 19
Kudos: 180





	I Am Not The Only Traveler

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Growing under them](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27138595) by [Nicoforlife](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nicoforlife/pseuds/Nicoforlife). 



> Title from The Night We Met by Lord Huron, as will the rest of the titles, and fully inspired by Growing under them by Nicoforlife!!! I hope you all enjoy :))
> 
> P.S. Everyone's looks are based on their Minecraft Skins not what they actually look like, and some things are modified. All of Team Crafted are Gods but I will touch more on that in a later fic. There are a few things in this that may need more explaining, but those are also things that I will bring up later. All of Team Crafted are mostly called by their first names. More fics are to come and they should answer your questions :))
> 
> Anyways, onward!!

Ssundee hates lobbies. There are always too many people all shoved into an area, some games being more crowded than others, all of them excitedly yelling about something or gossiping about you right to your face. It's always bright, too bright for him, even though his sunglasses are supposed to help that. And the smell. There's always this _smell_. It burns your nostrils and makes you wince and want to plug your nose until your gone. At least, that's what lobbies are to him. Some of his friends don't share his feelings, Jerome and Mitch have actually talked about how much they loved lobbies, but Ian just doesn't get it. 

So now he's leaving Hypixel after a meeting with the server's creators on behalf of his team and he really just wants to leave as soon as possible. He doesn't want to run, since he wants to keep his cool facade up, but he really wants to get back home. As soon as possible. He was reaching the leaving area, waving to people and trying to ignore others. Lord did he not want to be here.

He wanted to get home with his family, maybe be able to talk to Benjamin for a bit, and be sitting in front of a fire or the tv, warm, content. He shook out of his thoughts, looking around. In front of him was the exit area, but it was packed. His eyes widen as he looks at all the people crowding in front of the small spot, all of them surrounding each other, the smell getting worse. He scrunches his nose, trying to block it out, and turns around. There was another exit anyway. Sure it was abandoned, but it still worked. He and Adam used it all the time.

He sighs as he realizes how far away he is from the other exit, the other one being hidden on the other side of the lobby. He picked up his pace, getting looks from people as he passed. A few whispers were caught and he thinks he saw a few hands, but before he knew it he was at the path for the exit. Ian looked around, making sure no one was following or looking for him, and jumped the wall at the side, dropping down onto a barely visible dirt path overgrown with moss and grass. He smiled as he sniffed the air and realized the smell had lessened. 

'Not too long now,' He thought, starting his walk down the path. It was calm, silent almost, a bird would chirp every once in a while and a rabbit crossed his path once or twice. It wasn't very eventful, but it was a place where the operator's magic hadn't touched yet. The operator's magic was an interesting thing, and Ssundee suspected that's what caused the smell.

Every time a person would join, the operator's magic latched to them, cloaking them in it while they were on the server. It had something to do with a spell gone wrong and a cursed place, but no one really knows that true story, and most tend to ignore the important ones. This magic wasn't something to be messed around with, so Ssundee rarely goes on these trips for his team. They make him feel like he's not him. His own magic seems to become covered by the operator's magic when he joins servers. It makes him feel empty almost.

He hears a shuffle to his right and quickly looks up, finding only a bee in front of him. Ian sighs then smiles at the bee, holding his hand out to touch it. The bee gladly floats to his hand, nuzzling his palm, then floats off. Ssundee watches it disappear then continues down the path. Up ahead there's a small cave opening covered in vines, another safety precaution put thereafter someone found out about this exit. Ian brushes past the vines, glad he's closer to the exit. He takes a few strides forward and sees the exit, walking towards it with a grin. It was placed in a small opening in a cave, the top opened to let in natural light.

It's placed in the middle, almost looking like a podium, but made of stone and crumbling to pieces. The sun shines down on it, lighting up the polished stone. As he steps into the sun, he basks in its warmth, glad to feel it as it normally should feel. He looks forward, pressing on, and reaches his hand out to the exit. His hand is there when he hears something to his left. He pauses, side-glancing to that side and catching a quick glimpse of a figure hidden behind a tree. He sighs, why did this have to happen today of all days?

"Listen," He says, raising his voice so the figure can hear him. "You shouldn't be here, it's prohibited." He glances again, seeing nothing this time but continues anyway. "I won't do anything to you, but you have to leave now." 

Nothing happens.

Ian closes his eyes in annoyance, breathing in and letting it out to calm himself. He drops his hand from the podium, still staring ahead. He starts again.

"Hey! I know you can hear me," He says, turning his head to his left. "Just leave and nothing will happen!" The figure's hand twitches, almost looking like it's grabbing at something, but stays where it is. Ian shakes himself out then turns, stomping towards the figure. The figure, in turn, stumbles back.

"I don't know who you are and I couldn't care less," He says, making his way over and rolling up his sleeves. "But trust me when I say I don't like people who decided to sneak into an area," He hopes those fighting lessons with Adam pay off, "That isn't open to them and I definitely don't like people who ignore me." He hears the figure stumble, fall, then quickly try to shuffle and get back. Ian reaches the tree and whips around it, ready to give hell to whoever is on the other side.

He definitely isn't expecting a kid.

He blinks, lowering his arms and looking down at the child who, in turn, flinches away. Guilt gnaws at him but he ignores it, knowing it wasn't his fault he didn't know it was a kid. He lowers himself, crouching down to assess the kid. He's scrawny, skinny and underfed.

He looks young, around five or six. Dirt covers his whole body and his clothes, a bright green hoodie and black jeans, are a mess. His hair is matted with who knows what, stuck in clumps and patches. His hands are covered in scars and cuts, as are the body parts he can see. The most discernible feature about him, though, was the circular mask with a drawn on smiley face that covers everything except his mouth, which was raw and cut up.

The kid looks malnourished, his lips stand out against his pale skin and gaunt face. He's holding his right hand against his chest in a protective manner, balancing himself with his other hand. The kid's shaking, what from, Ian isn't sure, but large tremors shake his small form, making him look like a frightened fawn. Ian swallows, clears his throat, then speaks up.

"Hey," He begins, startling the kid. "I didn't mean what I said. I thought you were someone else." The kid (what he assumes) stares at him. Ian looks around, seeing if anything could help him, knowing he's going to turn up empty. He faces the kid again.

"My name's Ssundee," He says, reaching a hand out to the kid. The kid flinches back, losing balance from his left hand and reaching out to catch himself with his right. He hisses, flinching from putting pressure on his hand. Ian rushes forward, getting closer to check on the kid. 

"Hey, hey," He says, holding his hands up as if talking to a scared animal (he might as well be at this point). "It's alright. I'm not going to hurt you." The kid looks at him then bites his lip, contemplating whether or not he should believe Ssundee. Ian smiles, laying one hand flat so his palm is facing up, and reaches out to the kid.

The kid sizes him before he backs away, not trusting him enough to grab his hand. Ian sighs and drops his hand, standing up from his crouching position.

"Well," He begins, walking back to the exit. "You can stay here. No one comes through that often, well no one that isn't me or my friends, and if you stay out of sight you should be fine." He turns around to look at the kid, then reaches into his pouch to grab a loaf of bread he had on him as a gift from creators. He tosses it to the kid who catches it as if it was second nature. Ssundee stares at him then snorts, turning back to the exit.

"Nice catch," Ian says before he's touching the podium and being brought home.

\-----------------------------------

Ian doesn't bring it up when he gets home, thinking that the situation isn't too big. It was a kid and the only people that used that exit regularly were him and Adam. From what he had observed, the kid wouldn't cause any ruckus. He seemed quiet, content to staying behind that tree and not making any noise.

And so what if Ian started to go to Hypixel more (even though he didn't like most things about it)?

And so what if he used that exit more? It was just for convenience, it wasn't like he wanted to see the kid.

And so what if he brought extra food and sometimes healing potions with him when he used that exit? It was just another safety precaution.

He was just doing stuff to make it easier for himself, the kid seemed to appreciate him visiting too. They began to chat a bit. The kid told him his name was 'Dream' to which Ssundee wondered 'who named their kid Dream?' until he realized that it was probably a fake name to cover up his real self. Ian had learned that the kid was a Scavenger, a youth of Notch who was born without a family. Ssundee was shocked, he hadn't met a Scavenger in awhile. Scavenger's were Notch's gift to people, a way to show everyone he still existed. Often they were rejected by most, being told off by people who didn't believe in Notch.

Now, Ian couldn't really say he believed in Notch either, when he himself was A God and never once has spoken to the man, but that doesn't mean he'd turn away a kid. Dream told him about his life on the streets, having to make it off on whatever he could find. Ian couldn't help but sympathize with the kid, knowing that growing up like that, especially from such a young age, wasn't good. Dream explained how the orphanage that found him turned him away when they could after getting backlash for housing him. The kid said how one of the ladies, a nice woman that went by the name 'Puffy' would care for him even after he was turned away, but she was soon discovered helping him and he hadn't seen her since.

Ian eventually told Dream he could call him by his true name but told Dream he didn't have to share his own, to which Dream was ecstatic that he could call his new friend by such a private name.

Then, when Ian got home and his team, his family would ask where he was, he'd make up some lie about sightseeing or being caught up by something. They seemed to believe it, but he couldn't figure out why he was lying to them.

\-------------------

The day came about a month after Ssundee had first met Dream. He and Adam were visiting Hypixel about the release of a new game of theirs and were there to showcase what it had to offer. The event lasted about five hours, so they both thought it seemed fit to take the path to their exit. 

After bidding the hosts and guests farewell, the duo left the central area and walked over to the wall where they both jumped down. The walk seemed longer, maybe it was the tiredness seeping into his bones, but it was better with Adam here. Ian sniffed the air and was glad to feel his nostrils finally clearing up.

"You feeling okay?" Adam asked, holding a lantern in front of them so they could see where they were going. Ian turned to him and smiled, nodding to his question.

"Yeah, I'm glad we left when we did though," He said, scratching the back of his neck. "It was getting a little too crowded in there, especially since the sun was set and people outside were coming in." Adam nodded understandingly, reaching up to take off his glasses.

"I get what you mean," Adam said, tucking his glasses into a pocket. "It felt almost suffocating in there near the end," Ian nodded, relieved that Adam could at least understand what he went through. "I was thinking about it, and it has to do with the operator's magic." Ian looked at him in surprise.

"I-I thought that too," He said, shocked at the fact that this thought wasn't just some crazed thing that passed his mind. "When I get further away from the main part of servers I can't really smell it anymore and my breathing regulates." Adam nodded.

"I was thinking about it when I was at Mineplex. I wandered off a bit and found that even just a little bit away from the main part of the server I could breathe better." Adam sighed, looking at the cave entrance. "Well have to look more into it though," Ian moved the vines, holding them so Adam could slip past them after him. Adam, in turn, placed his lantern down and continued forward towards their exit. "As of right now, it seems to only affect you and me but who knows, in the future, it might-"

"Ian!" A voice called out. They both turned to see a figure sitting against a tree, standing up to greet them. Adam tensed while Ian relaxed, glad the kid looked okay. Dream got to them but stopped a few feet short when he realized that someone else was accompanying Ssundee. The kid put his hands together, twiddling his thumbs as he looked between the two adults. Ssundee paused, wondering why the kid was acting so weird, then remembered how Adam didn't know about the kid, and that the kid didn't know about Adam.

Ian cleared his throat and grabbed Adam's arm, pulling him to the side. "So," He started, looking at his shorter friend. Adam raised an eyebrow at him.

"'So' is right," Adam gestured to the kid. "Who, why, and how." Ian scratched the back of his head and chuckled nervously.

"Well, I can fill in the who, partially fill in the why, and sort of fill in the how," Adam looked at him, waiting for Ian to continue. "His name is Dream-"

"His real name?" Ian deadpanned.

"People literally call you SkyDoesMinecraft or Mr. Minecraft and call me Ssundee and you're worried about a kid having the name 'Dream'?" Adam nodded.

"Fair point," Ian grumbled and began again.

"Anyways, his name is Dream and he said he's six years old, though he also said he can't confirm since he's not sure what day it is. He said he stumbled across here by accident when running away from some players after taking something from them," Adam opened his mouth to talk but Ian continued. "And he's a Scavenger." Adam's mouth snapped shut.

"A Scavenger?" He asked, looking at the kid who was cowering under the God's gaze. Ian grabbed his arm.

"Yes, he is, and stop staring him down like he's prey, he's a kid," Adam turned to him in shock then slowly smirked.

"Oh," He said, pointing at his friend than to the kid. "Oh, you're attached." Ian began stuttering out some kind of excuse, his face turning red as he tried to deny Adam's accusations. "Oh, my," Adam chuckled, looking at the kid. "Guess I should meet him." Ian closed his mouth and watched his friend walk over to Dream.

"Hey buddy," Adam started, softening his voice as to not startle the kid. "How's it going?" Dream looked at him, mouth agape, shock covering his face.

"Y-You're Mr.M-Minecraft," The kid stuttered out, pointing a finger at Adam. The adult nodded and he smiled at Dream. 

"That I am,"

Dream seemed shocked but when the shock passed he slammed his mouth shut and folded in on himself. Adam's smile fell off his face at the kid's reaction, looking like he's about to get reprimanded. "Hey, kid," He said, reaching out a hand. "It's alright." Dream looked at him, then to Ian who nodded. 

"You're fine, kid," Ian said, stepping closer to the two. "You're alright here." Dream nodded, swallowing his fears and grabbing Adam's hand. Adam smiled at him and playfully shook the small appendage. 

"Nice to meet you kid, I'm Sky," A smile broke Dream's face, making the men melt. The kid shook Sky's hand and introduced himself.

"Hi, nice to meet you too! I'm Dream," Sky chuckled. There was something about this kid. He wasn't sure what it was, but it was something. Ian stepped forward and ruffled the kid's hair, getting a noise of complaint out of him. Adam thought it was cute, but Ian was attached. He just wondered why he didn't tell him.

"Ian?" Adam wondered, deciding to speak his mind. Said man looked up at his name and tilted his head in question. "Why didn't you tell anyone about Dream?" Ian froze, looking at his friend sheepishly.

"I actually don't know," He looked at Adam. "I just didn't bring it up. It wasn't like I meant to avoid the question, I just never knew when or how to bring it up." Adam nodded in understanding and turned back to the kid.

"Let's keep him,"

"Adam! H-he isn't an animal! You can't just meet him then take him whenever you want!" Ian sputtered, shocked but glad his friend thought the same as him. Adam shrugged.

"Why not?" He gestured to himself. "I am Mr. Minecraft." Ian sighed.

"How about we ask the kid?" They both turned to Dream, shocked at his outburst. The kid shrunk under their gazes. "Or not. Pretend I didn't say anything." The two older were quick to reassure Dream that he didn't do anything wrong. 

"No, no, you're right," Ian said, speaking softly. "We should ask you. What would you like to do?" Dream looked between the men. In the time he has known Ian, it's the happiest he's ever been. He's laughed and smiled more, he's been able to communicate better, he's been feeling happier. Ian really changed his life and though he hadn't known Adam for long, he feels the same pull.

"I wouldn't want to be a bother," Adam brightened at that. "But yeah. Yeah, I guess I would." Ian raised an eyebrow.

"You guess?"

"I would. I do want to stay with you guys." Adam cheered, throwing his arms into the air. Ian smiled at the kid and put a hand on his shoulder. 

"We should get going then," He thought out loud. "It's getting dark."

Dream nodded enthusiastically, following Adam and Ian to the exit. He and Adam chattered excitedly about different things. Hobbies, interests, talents, information about each other. Everything. Ian watched from behind as the two got closer to the exit, Adam's hand laying where his own was just moments before.

'Yeah,' He thought, shaking his head and picking up his pace to catch up with them. 'We're going to be alright.'

\--------------------------------------------------

Dream was shocked when they got to the house and honestly, Ian couldn't blame him. His home was huge, built specifically for everyone who lived in it and their needs. Care and precision were put into the house to make it a home and it was worth it. 

They were teleported to the end of the pathway that led to the front of the house. It was simply a cobblestone path that got skinny as it got closer to the front doors. The path was lit by lanterns placed on blocks around the edge, lighting up their way to the front. The house was built mainly of spruce, surrounded by large dark oak trees. There was a thick perimeter of just grass surrounding the edge of the house to make sure the trees weren't right up against the house. They began their walk to the doors, Dream looking around in awe. The property was big, just off of the path was a large plains area. There they had other builds. Farms, a watchtower, a store, a village (it was there when they spawned), and even a castle that Mitch and Jerome wanted to build for the fun of it (and because of Jordan and Adam both being considered 'kings'). 

As they got closer to the house, they could hear the commotion coming from inside. Shouting was heard, but it all seemed to be in a good manner. Adam and Ian looked at each other and sighed, not wanting to see the mess that was most likely in the house, when Jerome slammed opened the door, announcing their arrival.

"Adam! Ian!" He started, walking down the path to them. "You're back! Took you guys long enough. I was going to send a search party out." He joked, looking at his friends. He had an apron on, covered in flour and what looked to be some kind of sauce, which lead them to figure out the yelling. Mitch trailed behind him, a grin on his face. 

"Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in," Mitch teased, putting his elbow on Jerome's shoulder to which the other shrugged off. Jerome opened his mouth to speak but then snapped his jaw shut, looking between the two.

"Uhm guys," He said, pointing in between them. "Why is there a kid with you?" Said kid cowered, hiding behind Ian, trembling. The man ignored Jerome and motioned to Adam to explain while he took care of the kid. He turned around and knelt, reaching his hands out.

"Can I touch you?" He whispers, vaguely aware of the exclamations of concern behind him. Dream nodded and Ian put his hand on the kid's shoulder. "They're my family, they won't hurt you," He took off his glasses and looked Dream in the eyes. "Trust me, you're safe." The kid swallowed then nodded, looking around him to the unfamiliar duo. Ian smiled at him. "Wanna meet them?" Dream looked shocked then adverted his eyes. Adam chuckled and lent out his hand to which the kid grabbed. Adam gestured him forward to introduce him.

"Jerome, Mitch, this is Dream," Adam said, introducing them. "Dream, this is Jerome and Mitch." Dream looked up at the pair who smiled and waved. The kid smiled shakily and waved (though it could be called flopping his hand) at them. They bent down to his level.

"Hi, kid! I'm Jerome, as you know," Jerome held his hand out. "I know I'm furry but I don't bite." Dream let out something close to a chuckle and hesitantly reached out to shake Jerome's hand. Jerome's smile grew when the kid grabbed his hand. 

"And I'm Mitch," He saluted with two fingers at the kid, smiling at Dream. The kid seemed speechless, mouth opened like a fish.

"O-oh," He stuttered out, but left it at that. Mitch felt somewhat saddened, he hadn't gotten a smile or a handshake or a laugh, but it was just his feelings playing at him, that's all. They stood up and brushed the dirt off of themselves, turning around, motioning to the door. 

"Well," Ian said, facing the kid. "Wanna head inside?" Dream smiled at the man while nodding, grabbing his hand and letting them lead him inside. The front door was a double spruce door that was carved out to look almost like an archway. The front of the house had windows on each side but they were covered by curtains, not giving him any insight on what to expect. The front had vines down it, almost making it look old, but Dream wasn't sure if they were put there on purpose.

At the door, Adam opened it and held it open for everyone else before quietly closing it behind them. The men slipped off their shoes and put them on a rack, making their way into (what he assumed was) the kitchen where Dream heard more voices. Ian stayed with him and helped him take off his shoes, putting the smallest pair with the others. He then nodded to the area the others disappeared to and Dream followed along, putting his hand back in Ian's.

"There are three more people to meet," He explained as they walked to the kitchen. "They're lovely people and they won't do anything so don't worry about it." He smiled down at the kid who returned a nervous grin.

When they got to the kitchen they were greeted with the sight of Jason and Quentin fighting over the stove. Jerome quickly interrupted them and took control of the situation, though the two remained glaring at each other. At the dining room table was Adam and Tyler, the two seemed to be talking about something, and Mitch was sitting on one of the chairs, shuffling a pile of cards. 

"Jason, Quentin, Ty," Ian said, calling out to the men that hadn't met Dream yet. "I'd like you to meet someone." The three turned to him, looking at him in confusion that turned to shock then went back to confusion. Ty smiled brightly and walked over to the kid, his soft spot for children was really something, and bent down.

"Hey buddy, I'm Tyler," He didn't hold a hand out, but he did flash the kid a bright smile, tilting his head to the side. Dream looked at him, mesmerized, then pointing behind Ty. Ian chuckled.

"Yeah, those are wings," He looked at his hybrid friend. "Ty, this is Dream, he's gonna be staying with us for a bit." Dream looked at Tyler in amazement, stunned by the wings protruding from his back. Said man laughed and stretched them out, showing them to Dream. The kid gave a smile, glad that Tyler showed him, and the man folded in his wings.

To the left of the two were Jason and Quentin, both standing there looking at the kid.

"Dream, huh," Jason said, sizing up the kid. "Cool name, I'm Jason." Ever the antisocial one, Jason stayed back, introducing himself from afar. Quentin, on the other hand, walked right up to them.

"Hey, kid! It's nice to meet you," He flashed Dream a smile, also bending down to greet him. The fish hybrid held out a hand. "I'm Quentin, it's nice to meet you." Dream nodded, grabbing the hand quickly then pulling back. Quentin's smile grew, perplexed by the kid. He was about to say something when a shout came from the kitchen.

"Boys! Dinner!!" They moved to the kitchen to help and Jerome turned to Dream.

"Do you have any allergies? Diet restrictions? Don't eat certain things?" Dream shook his head.

"Uh n-no sir," He said quietly, still hanging onto Ian's hand. Jerome's eyes softened.

"You can just call me Jerome, don't worry bout formalities," Dream's face flushed and he nodded, letting Ian pull him to the dining table. They all sat and in front of them was a large pot and bowls, so it was safe to assume some kind of stew or soup.

"My oh so famous," Jerome put his hand on the lid, waiting for dramatic effect. "Mushroom Stew." He pulled the lid off, letting the smell hit everyone. Adam cheered from one end of the table, shouting about how he hadn't had any in so long. They passed bowls around, filling all of them up, and poured water into everyone's glasses. Dream stared in shock, wondering if he was allowed to have these things. Someone handed him a napkin and Ian helped him tuck it into his lap, then pushed his chair closer to the table.

"Eat as much as you can," He said, gesturing to the bowl. "Don't force yourself, he won't be offended if you don't finish it." Dream looked up at Ian then nodded, picking up his spoon and digging in.

\---------------------------------------

Dinner lasted around an hour, everyone was talking about their day, Dream got asked some questions, and the Hypixel event was explained. Dream looked at his bowl. He ate a lot considering he hadn't eaten a full meal in years. Mitch and Jason stood up, collecting the dishes. Dream looked around.

"I-I can help," He whispered when Mitch came to grab his bowl. Mitch shook his head, smiling at the kid.

"Nah, we got it," He said, picking up the bowl. "Besides, it's our day to wash the dishes anyway." Dream tilted his head and opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by a yawn. He slapped his hands over his mouth and began apologizing, but the others simply chuckled, fondness creeping into their eyes. Ian rubbed his back, standing up and offering a hand.

"It's been a long day," He said, looking around to see droopy eyes and yawns from others. "For all of us. How about we go get you ready for bed?" Dream nodded and grabbed Ian's hand, following him to the stairs. As they made their way up, Ian stopped himself. 

"Do you wanna go to sleep or have a bath first?" Dream looked at him in shock.

"I get to have a bath?" He asked quietly. Ian looked startled by the discovery but nodded in answer.

"Of course you do!" He said, leading them to the bathroom. "I'm guessing that means you want to have a bath first?" Dream nodded shyly, rubbing the back of his neck. When they got in the bathroom Ian turned on the tap, putting in the plug to stop the water from draining. He turned and grabbed a towel from the shelf behind him, placing it on a little table outside of the tub. He quickly left, leaving Dream standing awkwardly in the middle of the room. Ian came back quickly and put down a pair of pyjamas for the kid.

"I got you a pair of pyjamas from another kid we have stay here now and again," He gestured to the pile. "And a towel, let me know if you need another one." He then turned to the bath, pointing at different bottles. "This is shampoo," He held up a bottle with the letters 'SHAMPOO' written on it at the bottom. "This is conditioner," He then held up a similar bottle that had the words 'CONDITIONER' on it instead. "And this," He grabbed a third bottle. "Is body wash." He turned off the tap then grabbed a rag from behind him, handing the rag to Dream and placing the bottle back where it was. "Do you know how to use all of it?" Dream nodded.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I remember," He watched Ian leave. "Wait!" The man turned around. "What do I do when I'm done?"

"Oh yeah," Ian scratched his cheek. "My room is the first door on the right after this, so just come knock when you're done." Dream nodded and the man left, closing the door behind him. Dream walked over and locked it, then turned around and began to unclip his mask.

\--------------------------------------

He didn't take too long, quickly doing everything he needed to do then unplugging the drain, getting out of the tub and drying himself off. He pulled on the pyjamas then grabbed his mask, wondering if he should put it on, then put the porcelain on his face. He gathered his dirty laundry then head to Ian's room, knocking quietly at the door. He heard footsteps then the door opened.

"Hey Dream, are you done?" Said kid nodded and Ian gestured to follow him. They stopped at a smaller room and Ian told Dream to put his clothes there so they'd get washed soon. He then led the kid to another room, one that was bigger than the other two he'd been in, and opened the door.

"This," Ian motioned to the room. "Is where you'll be staying." Dream's mouth fell open and he looked around in shock. It was so nice. Right beside the door was a desk holding a lamp that was lit, giving the room a dim light. The four-poster bed was under a window that was in the center of the room. Underneath the bed was a carpet that looked extremely soft and when Dream walked on it, he was safe to say it was. On each side of the bed was a bedside table and on the farthest wall from him was a bookshelf with more books than he had seen in his life.

"We can always change stuff up," Ian said, walking over to the bed. "Switch some things out, bring in some things you like. The works," Dream nodded, a smiling splitting his face in two. He went to talk but was again cut off by a yawn. Ian laughed. "For now though, let's get you to bed." Dream nodded and Ian pulled back the covers. The kid crawled into the bed and snuggled into the pillows. Ian brought the sheets up around him and tucked him in. 

"Sweet dreams, kid," Ian said, brushing a hand through Dream's hair and leaving, turning the lamp off as he left.

Dream stared after him, watching him leave as sleep began to take him over. He pulled the comforter closer and cuddled the sheets, not being able to remember the last time he felt this warm. He wasn't sure how long this would last, but he'd make the best of it while it did.

One thing he knew for certain though, was the fact that he had never felt safer than he had these past few hours.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!! This took way longer than it should have but I kept getting writer's block and I'm so sorry about the wait for the people who waited to read this. I hope you all enjoyed and to my friend reading this, hey :)
> 
> This fic is apart of a series that I am making and this series is an AU. A really big AU. If you'd like to stick around for it then that'd be lovely, I really love this AU that I made and hope you will too. Also, does anyone know if Dream is uncomfortable with people using his real name in fics? 
> 
> Please consider leaving Kudos or commenting, it shows me that people actually like this fic and that it's doing well :))
> 
> If you have any questions, please let me know
> 
> And this isn't beta read so if there are any spelling errors or things that don't make sense, feel free to let me know so I can fix them :)


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